The excitement of Wimbledon may be over and the U.S. Open is still a few weeks away. In the meantime, residents of the St. Louis metro area can watch and meet some of the world's top-ranked professional men's tennis players within minutes from home.
Lewis and Clark Community College will host the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) Men's Futures Pro Circuit Tennis Tournament July 18-July 28.
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The event is free and open to the public, and spectators are provided with covered stadium seating to keep them comfortable and shaded from the heat.
Lewis and Clark's USTA Men's Futures Pro Circuit Tournament was named the 2012 Best Adult Tournament by the USTA's St. Louis District last fall.
"It's an honor to be recognized by the USTA for the quality of our tournament, our exceptional facilities, professional staffing, and the many amenities we offer our players, volunteers and spectators," said Jim Hunstein, USTA coordinator for Lewis and Clark.
This is the 16th year the college has hosted the tournament, which draws players from countries as far away as Australia, India, Brazil and Bulgaria to the Andy Simpson Tennis Complex on the college's Godfrey campus.
More than 120 players will start qualifying play in the tournament on Friday, July 19, as they compete for a place in the 32-player main draw. Play continues daily, ending with the doubles championship on Saturday, July 27 and the singles championship on Sunday, July 28.
The college will host a tennis clinic for children on Saturday, July 20 at 9 a.m. in the George C. Terry River Bend Arena. Children of all ages will have a chance to learn tennis from some of the tournament's professionals. The event is free and open to the public.
The Lewis and Clark event offers a total purse of $10,000 and is the eleventh oldest men's Pro Circuit tournament. The USTA Pro Circuit has served as a launching pad for some of tennis' greatest players. The winners of this year's Wimbledon's Doubles Championship, twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, got their start on the circuit as did Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and many other famous names in tennis.
For more information about the tournament or to get directions to campus, call (618) 468-6002 or visit www.lc.edu/usta
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